The removal of Free National Movement (FNM) Leader Dr. Hubert Minnis from the House of Assembly during Wednesday's sitting galvanized nearly 400 FNM supporters at a rally held at the party's Mackey Street headquarters that night.
A total of seven members of Parliament, with the exception of Central and South Abaco MP Edison Key, left the debating chamber after a scuffle ensued as two officers tried to get around Montagu MP Richard Lightbourn - who stood firm - to reach Minnis.
The incident stemmed from Minnis' defiance after he was ordered to leave the House by Speaker Dr. Kendal Major, who suspended Minnis for two sittings for his refusal to withdraw comments he made in mid-July in the House about Prime Minister Perry Christie's relationship with billionaire fashion designer Peter Nygard.
On Wednesday night, Lightbourn told the relatively large crowd that people normally only get excited about politics near a general election, but, "the giant has awoken".
"I want to think that you are proud of your parliamentary team today," said Lightbourn while standing on a platform with placards erected around him that read 'democracy will not be muzzled'.
"I don't suggest that you should simply be proud of us for walking out or being pulled out or whatever. There was a principle for which we stood, our leader stood.
He must be supported, and we gave him our support in this matter." Lightbourn said it was embarrassing to see close to 30 children sitting in Parliament when both Progressive Liberal Party (PLP) and FNM MPs knew there would be confrontation that day.
"They knew there would be confrontation, otherwise they wouldn't have had 15 police officers standing at the door of Parliament, and it must have been another 20 or 30 on the outside," he said.
"We were supposed to sit there like a bunch of lambs while they can do whatever they want simply because we had the children in Parliament."
The enthusiastic supporters, clad in red shirts and waving red pom poms, shouted "never" when asked by several MPs and other high-level FNMs if they would be silenced.
The "FNM Red Alert: Freedom and Democracy" event, which resembled a pre-general election rally, was serenaded by gospel music artist Christian Massive.
FNM Deputy Leader Loretta Butler-Turner said her heart became heavy when she saw police officers moving to remove Minnis.
The Long Island MP said that while a general election will not be held for another few years, the FNM 2017 campaign has begun.
"This is not the time to be weak, this is not the time to be divided," Butler-Turner said.
"I want you to take a message back to those who are afraid to be here. Tell them that we are all together. Tell them the FNM will not be intimidated.
"...Seven of us stood strong today (Wednesday)."
On the podium, Butler-Turner also rejected Minister of Labour and National Insurance Shane Gibson's assertion in the House that she had previously visited Nygard's residence in Lyford Cay.
"The truth of the matter is I was not at Nygard's, I was invited to a funeral for his mother, but I have never put foot in a place called Nygard Cay," she said.
Nygard's mother's house is located on West Bay Street.
Minnis told the crowd that the FNM is committed to defending and deepening democracy and freedom of speech in the House and outside of it.
He said the Opposition will continue to broadcast its message that the PLP does not have "the moral authority or mandate to govern this country."
"I can assure you we are not going back, we are moving to the future, we are moving forward, we are moving to Government House and we will continue to campaign," Minnis said.
"We will move from corner to corner, street to street, constituency to constituency, island to island, and we will not stop until we reach Government House where we will be sworn in as the new government."
Several other FNM MPs and former Cabinet ministers addressed the crowd, including former FNM Chairman Carl Bethel, East Grand Bahama MP Peter Turnquest and North Eleuthera MP Theo Neilly.
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